Moonsong
by S.A. Thorup
Summary: When Luna was cleansed of Nightmare Moon, it was just the first step of her recovery. As Luna regains her health and strength, she faces an inner battle while trying to perform her duties as Princess of the Night, and is unsure if she'll ever recover her former glory and hear the song of the moon again.
1. Chapter 1 - Return Home

Before Luna flashed a wall of color, circling her nightmare-induced body. She screamed––not in anger, but in fear. The Elements would send her back to her prison in the moon. Equestria and her sister would reject her forever this time through these new bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

She stopped screaming and braced herself for a powerful throw into heaven and was about to close her eyes when the colors began flashing brighter than before. Luna peered at the flashes, and then through them. She saw Equestria open up before her. She saw Celestia high on castle a balcony, far above Equestria, bowing her head as she lowered the sun. Luna peered at the white alicorn mare, a being she had not seen for a thousand years, with both longing and dread.

Luna tried to be angry, but she saw tears in Celestia's eyes. The light of the Elements suddenly closed in around her. It was not the rough grip that would toss her into banishment, but an embrace that silently begged her to return to harmony. The anger vanished in an outpouring of peace, and Luna chose not to force anger back as she realized the Elements were granting her a second chance.

This could be her chance to live again!

Next came pain. Shredding, splintering pain. The rainbow light of the Elements tore through the shell of Nightmare Moon that had ensconced Luna for far too long, a nightmare representation of her resentment, jealousy, and anger. Luna gritted her teeth, scream gone as she accepted the pain. She had earned it. She would take it if it meant getting her sister and Equestria back!

The Elements sensed her intent, and through the pain she felt a wash of relief. The nightmare that had infused itself into the very fibers of her body was being washed away.

Luna almost didn't register the feeling of her body sprawled on the floor, half unconscious as she tried to regain control of her limbs and head. She managed to register her light-blue coat and cobalt blue mane, and how scrawny and thin her body had become. Her crown and other vestments, heavy things made of black and blue meteorite she had once borne with graceful ease, felt too big and weighty for her now.

"Princess Luna."

Her eyes opened and her soul leaped at the voice. Then all at once she cringed and looked away from the white glow approaching her. The remnants of Nightmare Moon drifted away from her in a cloud of dust that smelled of smoke. Luna trembled as Celestia knelt before her, heard her loving reprimand, heard her plea of friendship, and knew she had been forgiven of all past grievances against her sister. They embraced, and Luna felt tears as warm as sunlight dampen her coat.

In the excitement of the new day, Luna traveled with her sister to bring the ponies of Harmony back to Ponyville.

After the carriage left Ponyville and took to the sky, Luna's weakened body collapsed onto her stomach, her wreath of welcome roses falling from her neck. Celestia lowered her head near her in concern.

"I'm sorry, sister," Luna murmured. "I'm so tired. So very tired."

"I understand," Celestia whispered. She barked a command to the chariot pegasi, resting one leg over Luna.

Celestia did not completely understand. She didn't understand that Luna hadn't slept a day or night since she was banished. Her rage and envy had driven her into a perpetual wakefulness. Every moment had been spent dwelling on plans of vengeance, or on memories, or on trying to break free from her prison. She had let her life she had chosen become a living nightmare, and now that Nightmare Moon was gone, her body, though immortal, screamed for rest.

The chariot veered towards the mountains central to the landscape. Upon the face of the largest mount was a great and colorful city humming with life. Pegasi and airships glided through its airspace, and Luna smelt foods and spices and the multitudes of ponies within. She wanted to ask what this place was, but even her jaw hung slack as she let her eyes close.

Instead of heading straight towards the city, their pegasi flew them up the flank of the mountain until they came to a platform looked over by a single two-story building. A narrow road led into a crevasse and to the city.

"Luna, you must walk one more time," Celestia told her. Luna, willing to please her sister in any way, forced her legs under her. Celestia hopped from the chariot, and as Luna stepped down, her taller sister pressed herself against Luna, and the Princess of the Moon gratefully leaned her weight against her.

Side-by-side, the Princesses followed the pegasi guards down the crevasse. Luna's head hung low, and she distantly heard the clang and clank of her horseshoes and those of Celestia's, and the heavy clip-clop of the guards' hooves. They echoed against the rocks and kept Luna awake.

She became aware of a door in the cliff, which they filed through. Celestia provided a ball of light from her horn to light the way. At this point Luna navigated by feeling where her sister was at her side. They emerged from the corridor into a hall with sunlit, stained glass windows. Nopony else appeared to be present.

Celestia ordered the guards to guide them to her personal chamber. Luna groaned inwardly when they faced stairs, but she urged herself up them to keep up with Celestia. Luna realized she was sweating, and damp locks of her light blue mane hung across her eyes. She smelled horrible too, as she had not bathed for a thousand years, and she abruptly pulled away from Celestia.

"I'm sorry," she managed to mutter. Celestia gazed at Luna with her big pink eyes and smiled. She unfurled her near wing and gently pulled Luna back to her side.

"I'll have a warm bath prepared," she said. "Do you still enjoy lavender salts?"

Luna nodded, and Celestia gave a muffled, pleased whicker. Luna smiled and tried to lift her head and take in more of the castle.

It was even more grand than their first castle, with longer halls and more windows. Instead of gray stone, Celestia had chosen white marble and granite for the floors and walls. Everywhere, from windows to arch key-stones to tapestries, were symbols of the sun overlaid with a crescent moon. Even in Luna's absence, it seemed Celestia had made it a point that ponies remember the moon as well as the sun. As they passed more depictions of the moon and sun, Luna felt more and more welcome in that new place.

Her exhaustion caught back up to her in a wave when they approached a spiral stairway, the last stairway before Celestia's room. Luna's legs quivered at the aspect of going up those stairs, but she snorted at her own weakness and began to climb. Celestia watched her progress for a few steps, nodded to the guards, and followed Luna.

The guards remained below. Celestia caught up to Luna, and together they came into an ante hall, and then entered the door at the other end.

A smell of roses drifted across them. Luna's nostrils flared, and her eyes rolled around to take in the spacious rotunda. A rainbow of glass windows circled the chamber, with a high-post bed against one wall under a window depicting the moon and sun. One doorway led to a small room with bookshelves, another to a powder room, and the last to a balcony.

Luna's eyes turned down to a pony who stood by one of the window curtains. It was a unicorn mare with a light yellow coat and a curled white mane and tail. Her mark of adulthood––or cutie mark, as ponies now referred to them––was of three folded napkins. The pony stared at Luna, pupils dilating.

"This is my pony-in-waiting, Gentle Fold," Celestia explained. "Gentle, this is my sister, Princess Luna. Attend to her every need as you would to me...although I will be attending her today."

Gentle Fold visibly jumped, and then nodded. Luna sighed and turned away, more interested in sleep.

"My pillow is yours, sister," Celestia said with a deferential bow of her head. "I will prepare a bath."

"I can't––" Luna stuttered. "That is, I don't––I won't get your sheets dirty. I will rest at the bedside."

Luna didn't even know what she was saying. She was almost delirious. She didn't care where she slept, as long as she _slept. _Before she knew it, she had collapsed by the door, laying on her side.

She had a sensation of drifting, and instead of a hard carpeted floor, a bed of padded blankets soon held her weight. Celestia's aura vanished, and Luna felt tears well up in her eyes.

"When did you last sleep?" Celestia asked, brows furrowed. Luna met her eyes as she rested her head against the pillow.

"I haven't slept since that night," Luna rasped. "I haven't slept, or ate, or drank...I'm so tired."

Celestia blinked and tears dribbled over her face. Luna finally let her body drift into the realm of sleep.


	2. Chapter 2 - What is Love?

Celestia didn't leave Luna's side for weeks. Her heart swollen in both joy for Luna's return and sorrow for Luna's incredibly weakened state, Celestia personally oversaw her recovery. She received only certain audiences in her bedroom, and sent messages to her ministers to oversee the continued progress of Equestria.

In the meantime, Celestia and Gentle Fold literally gave Luna the royal treatment. They bathed and fed her, although when Luna insisted, they let her tend to her own needs.

Whenever Celestia wasn't in audience with their subjects, she spoke with Luna about Equestria and its life during the past thousand years. Luna was silent through much of the exposition, as was her way. Celestia had always admired Luna for being a listener, and had to learn to be even more of a listener after Luna was gone and particularly hard cases came before her.

Celestia was telling her about the founding of Ponyville before the bathroom vanity, using her aura to run a brush through Luna's opaque mane. Luna sat on a stool and stared at herself through the mirror. Her ears suddenly folded back and she blinked. Celestia halted mid-sentence when she sensed her sister's disturbance.

"Will I ever be the same again?" Luna wondered. Her eyes glanced up and down her pale visage. "I used to be as the night, and my mane as the stars." She turned her head away. "I'm as a child now."

Celestia set the brush down. She too had been concerned about Luna's appearance, a sure indicator of her spiritual and magical health. Before Luna had transformed into Nightmare Moon, she had been a sleek, noble alicorn with indigo fur and a flowing mane and tail infused with her own magic. The Elements of Harmony and stripped her down to her most basic form, and Celestia wasn't sure if she would ever recover her former glory.

"We cannot say what the future will bring," Celestia said. "Even if you don't look the same, you will recover your magic. You will fly again. You will be powerful and glorious once more." She pressed her muzzle against Luna's cheek. "No matter what, you're my sister, and I love you."

"And Equestria?" Luna asked, turning to Celestia. "Do they...do they hate me now?"

Celestia felt her heart wrench to one side. It had always been Luna's wish that their subjects love her; she thrived on love, something few understood. When that love had not been shown to her in the past, her nightmare of not being loved had become a reality, and it had nearly destroyed Equestria.

"They hate Nightmare Moon," Celestia answered. "They will come to love you."

Luna gave Celestia a small smile.

"Even if they do not love me, I will serve them better than ever before, sister," Luna announced. "Even if they hate me, never will I cause them to suffer again."

Celestia felt her spirit soar, and many of her fears concerning Luna's emotional well-being vanished. Luna was remembering what it was to _be _a Princess.

"I think it's time for you to meet somepony very special to me," Celestia told her. "And I believe she can help you when it comes to love, and being loved."

Celestia had spoken of Mi Amore Cadenza once. She had mentioned her as a pegasus pony and a refugee from a country far in the east, a country that had been harshly lacking in harmony and love. Celestia had received Cadenza in audience and immediately answered the plight of the pink pegasus to return to her native land and settle disputations. During that time, Celestia learned that the pegasus had been an orphan, and once the war was over and love restored to the ponies, the Princess of Equestria adopted Cadenza as her niece and brought her back to Canterlot.

Luna was both pleased and nervous that Celestia had adopted family under her wing. Before they had settled in the Wilds, as this part of Equestria used to be known, she and Celestia had been almost constantly traveling, and had not had the opportunity to pair with stallions and raise families. Even when they had established their kingdom in this vale, they were symbolically married to their royal duties. Therefore, when she thought of family, she only thought of her and Celestia, the moon and the sun, and little otherwise.

However, it was only natural that Celestia seek out kinship among the ponies after Luna's banishment, and that gave Luna a sense of ease. At least her sister had not been completely alone during the last millennium.

Luna had left Celestia's bed chamber for the first time in almost a month and now waited by Celestia's golden apple tree for her sister and Mi Amore Cadenza to appear. Luna gazed at the bright apples above her, and used her aura to pick one. She was pleased her magic came so willingly at her bidding, and knew her magic was recovering.

She heard three pairs of hooves thumping through the grass beyond the apple tree. Luna rose to her hooves and shook herself. She shuffled her wings and set the apple down in the grass, watching for the ponies to appear.

First came Celestia, with Gentle Fold a few feet off to the side carrying picnic supplies in her aura, and on Celestia's other side was the pink pegasus Luna had expected. Her body stiffened when she spotted the horn spiraling from beneath Cadenza's dawn-colored mane, and she didn't realize she was staring before Celestia greeted Luna with a warm smile.

"Princess Luna," Celestia said. Luna quickly met her sister's eyes. "My niece, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza––"

"Cadence is fine," the pink _alicorn _inserted. Cadence had a bright friendly voice, and her eyes sparkled as she examined Luna. Celestia chuckled.

"Cadence, my sister, Princess Luna," Celestia finished. Cadence trotted forward a few paces and stopped, tilting her head as Luna double-checked that indeed this pony was an alicorn Princess. She was about a hoof taller than Luna at the withers, although Luna knew in her full power she would be somewhat taller than Cadence.

"I am so honored," Cadence said. Luna was pleased that Cadence showed no fear, although she didn't let her pleasure show quite yet. "I have heard so much about you, Princess Luna, and I have so many questions...but you don't have to answer them. I'm just pleased to be here and to finally meet you."

Luna herself was tempted to ask questions, but at the same time shied away from doing so in her waning surprise. Besides Celestia, Luna had never seen so much sincerity and love in a pony she had just met.

Luna invited them to sit with her under the tree, and while they reclined, Gentle Fold used her aura to lay out a blanket and a large basket filled with victuals. When she was finished, she stood off to the side to await further orders.

Celestia and Cadence took to gazing at the apple tree, and Luna remembered her apple and took a delicate bite out of it. It was sweet and soothing, and it helped her relax.

She flicked an ear as Cadence turned her attention back to Luna.

"It's been a while since I have visited the garden," Cadence commented. "It's my favorite place on the castle grounds. It's a lovely place for friends to get together and eat and play."

"Dost thou work in the palace, Princess Cadence?" Luna said, her alto voice a stark contrast to the musical tone of Cadence.

"Technically I'm a governess over the western and northern Equestrian territories," Cadence replied without missing a beat. She flushed somewhat and smiled. "Aunt Celestia receives audiences and does everything else."

Interesting. She had not yet found a kingdom to rule over. As a Princess, it would be natural for her to seek a territory where she could use her powers for the benefit of ponykind, just as Celestia and Luna had eventually done.

Luna's eyes flickered to Cadence's cutie mark. It was of a crystalline blue heart, with golden filigree work on either side.

"Dost thou love your work?" Luna asked further before she took another bite of her apple.

"Oh yes. But when I'm not working, you'll find me wandering around Canterlot. I do whatever I can to help the less fortunate."

Luna almost choked on her apple chunk. She ended up wheezing, swallowing and then coughing. Chagrin flushed across her entire body, and Luna grunted with a nod, hoping that they would let it go.

"Are you okay?" Cadence asked, missing Luna's cue. Celestia smiled, and Luna's ears grew hotter.

"I am well," Luna replied, voice breaking somewhat. She cleared her throat again and tried to dismiss her embarrassment. "Forgive me for saying so, Princess Cadence, but our place is not normally among the common folk of Equestria. There are so many of them, and we do attract much attention just by our presences. So much, even, that it can become disruptive."

"You'll find, my sister, that things have changed quite a bit in your absence," Celestia argued gently. Her smile disappeared, and she used her aura to arrange a plate of bread and grapes from the picnic basket. "When you...were gone, I saw that ponies did not know us as well as they should have. Though we may be admired, worshiped, even, we were just that. Idols. Not ponies. I took it upon myself to make more appearances all over Equestria, and have made many friends among our subjects. It has strengthened my bond with my ponies."

"They want love," Cadence said, drawing out some of her own food. "Everypony wants to feel loved. Who better than to show love, than a ruler to her subjects?"

Luna looked away from them as guilt began to bubble up in her heart. She had blamed the ponies, blamed her own sister, for not having the love and attention she felt she deserved...but what if it was really her own fault? What if they had not given her what was her right, because she was not willing to love them enough to build the bond Celestia spoke of?

In her mind's eye, she suddenly imagined what may have happened if it was she, Luna, who had received the love and praise, and it was Celestia who had retreated into the nightmare shadow of chaos, all from a lack of love and giving love. She tried not to think what sort of hellish creature Celestia could have become; Nightmare Moon had been bad enough.

For the next hour the Princesses engaged in idle talk, although Luna contributed little to the conversation. Most of her mind also dwelt on what it meant to love, not matter what.

It came time for them––at least, Celestia and Cadence––to return to their royal duties. Gentle Fold gathered up the picnic and floated it before her as the alicorns stood and shook themselves. Luna turned and found Cadence before her with that ever-gentle smile.

"May I give you my royal blessing, Princess Luna?" she inquired. Luna gave a single nod, and Cadence gently tapped the tip of her horn against Luna's. The touch, a natural and affectionate gesture among unicorns, immediately soothed Luna's tense body, and helped some of her whirling thoughts to settle. "May your rule be long, and may you always find love in and around you."

Cadence shared a horn-tap with Celestia and bade them a cheery farewell before heading towards the castle. Luna felt her eyes grow misty. All the care and love she had received since the Elements cleansed her suddenly fell upon her like a soft, heavy blanket, and she struggled not to cry behind her otherwise stoic mask.

Things certainly _were _different from when she left, and she would not take it for granted. There was so much to learn, and so much to do. Luna determined to start right away.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Bond of Harmony

Luna grew impatient with her own health as Fall neared. She wanted to be able to raise and set the moon by Fall Equinox, but had not dared to try yet. With Celestia's counsel and her own intuition, she kept her duties to a minimum.

Ah, it felt wonderful to have duties again! The desire to serve and spread harmony ran thick through Luna's blood, a passion that had thinned soon before Nightmare Moon emerged. With each passing day, as she watched the sun rise and fall, and then watched with awe as Celestia raised and set the moon, Luna felt more and more inspired to become the glorious Princess that had traversed the night sky and watched over the sleeping ponies of Equestria.

For now she followed Celestia's lead. Celestia assigned Luna duties of transporting messages across Equestria and throughout Canterlot. As for the magical duties of an alicorn, Luna began dream-guiding a month before Equinox.

Like many alicorns, Luna was adept at learning and executing complicated and powerful spells, and one of her specialties was soaring through the corridors of mortal dreams and banishing nightmares. Depending on the length of a pony's dream in relation to real-time, Luna could visit hundreds of dreams in a single full night. She vaguely recalled the first time she had walked through dreams, and hadn't understood until later that she had actually been in another pony's dream. The more she had stepped into dreams and nightmares, the more control she gained control over her own power in dreams, and the more she used it to bring peace to her ponies

It was time to begin again on this essential duty. Luna was presented with her own quarters in a tower opposite of Celestia's, a section of the castle that had been in the works since days after her return. Rugs, the bed, curtains, tapestries...all bore a twilight and night theme of stars and moons, although––to Luna's great gratification and affection––there were small, blazing symbols of suns throughout the theme. Feeling more in her own element, and regaining more sense of independence, Luna went to her meditation chamber, a chamber made specifically for dream-guiding. There she lay belly-down on a soft mat, legs tucked under her, and head bowed and facing a gleaming moon outside.

This was the first time in over a thousand years she had entered dreams. Her heart thundered, her mind raced, but she knew that was not the right way. She summoned her aura. Luna's eyes gained an ethereal luminescence, and she closed them. She coaxed both her heart and mind to be still, to embrace peace and focus. Once they had slowed to a natural pace, her body relaxed as well. With the guidance of her magic, Luna's mind flew into a vast realm lined by ovular holes, each an entrance to a dream.

Luna slowly beat her wings, keeping her legs bent for easier flight, and she examined the various holes. With a certain horror she realized that if she had ever entered sleep as Nightmare Moon, she could have plagued millions of ponies with more than just a bad memory of her appearance and banishment. She expressed silent gratitude that she had stayed awake, even in a tormenting rage, but also regretted not being able to fight chaos in dreams all those years.

She had only been thinking of herself.

Luna shook her head and sensed for any disturbances in the sphere of endless doorways. She decided, due to her state of recovery, she would only do five dreams maximum this night. Her head snapped around towards one of the portals as her magic sensed an inconsistency of peace, and a small smile emerged on her lips.

Luna looked forward to dream-guiding every night, and for the time it distracted her from chafing after moon-rising and -setting. However, one night her overconfidence backfired, something she had forgotten could even happen when her magical strength waned dangerously.

It started when she only found one entrance available in the dream-sphere. When she came through the door, it snapped closed behind her, and Luna immediately searched her surroundings. She was in a chamber, half of the wall broken down to reveal a thick forest beyond a ravine. The moon rode low on the horizon, and was the color of blood in a lunar eclipse. Luna hummed thoughtfully, wondering where the pony or ponies of the dream could be.

She turned and halted before a mirror. Its reflection was black as pitch. She stepped closer, the mirror black shifting to a lighter color, and a creature emerged on the mirror surface. Its pelt was so dark it absorbed light, and its mouth hung open to reveal cracked and bloody fangs dripping with acidic saliva. Its eyes were a strange green color, and slitted like a cat's.

Luna gazed in horror at the creature. It held the twisted form of an alicorn, but of itself was a monster. She wanted to look away from the mirror, but it had trapped her, and she lost all will over the dream.

Nightmare Moon leaped out of the mirror with an ear-piercing howl. Luna whinnied and tried to rear, but the monster passed right into her. She looked at the mirror again and saw her own visage. Black started to blot out the blue, and her mouth ached as the teeth lengthened and ground against each other. She found her hooves sticky with a black substance, and the darkness spread over her eyes until she saw nothing.

_You are a monster, Luna. Nopony loves you._

Luna awoke from the dream screaming. She scrambled up from her meditation mat and bumped into a hanging tapestry, shaking it from its brackets. It tumbled over her and blinded her. Luna summoned what magic she had left and incinerated the cloth in a burst of blue flames. She swung her neck back and forth, head bowed and horn to bear should the creature still be there...but there was nothing but the smooth walls of the chamber and the window filled with moonlight.

She heaved breaths, heart galloping and legs trembling. She jumped when there was a knock on her chamber door.

She gulped and closed her eyes, trying to shake off the nightmare. Would this being of her own creation ever stay in the past? Or was she destined to live in its shadow forever?

When she didn't answer the door, four royal guards, wearing the dark steel and silver regalia of night guards, charged into the room and spread out. One found her standing in the meditation chamber, and he bowed to one knee.

"Forgive our intrusion, your Highness," he said, voice deep and gravelly. The other guards approached and also bowed. "We feared you were in trouble, especially when you did not answer."

Luna managed to catch her breath and turn to the stallions. They didn't directly meet her eyes, but they still discreetly observed her every move.

"Is my...is Princess Celestia still awake?" she asked.

"She is usually in her study until midnight, your Highness," the first guard answered. "If you wish, I can guide you to her chamber."

Luna remembered, in her eagerness to serve, she had fallen asleep before midnight, and had only been asleep for perhaps ten minutes. She hoped Celestia wouldn't be bothered by her visit, because the hours after sundown were usually the only period Celestia truly had to herself.

"Take me to her," Luna commanded. She followed the guards towards the door, glancing at her pedestal with her crown, collar, and ornate horseshoes, but she turned from them and paced into the hallway.

Her and the single guard came to the study, but it was dark. Luna wearily thanked and dismissed the guard, who returned to her tower. She remained before the study, heart aching for a listening ear and loving words that could comfort her. She took a deep breath through her nostrils and caught the scent of roses.

Luna managed to follow the scent trail out into the garden. She was barraged by a multitude of smells from all the forage, and almost lost that particular rosy scent of perfume Celestia loved.

She paced silently along the garden paths, admiring how the moonlight accented branches and leaves and bushes with a lovely blue-white glow. She stopped when she lost her sister's scent, but as she stood and listened instead, she heard a soft sob a little further in.

Luna followed the sound. Her night-sensitive eyes peered through a thick line of trees, and she saw something white gleaming through a passageway.

Luna entered the passage between the trees and stopped in the shadows, staring at the scene before her. Celestia laid on her side beside a pool, bereft of any royal ornaments, and her normally flowing mane and tail lay still. Her wings were partly spread to either side of her in a careless manner. Her attention appeared to be turned to the moonlit pool, but her eyes were closed as she bit back muffled sobs. Tears poured from her clenched eyes and down her cheeks, dripping into the pool and creating a multitude of weak ripples.

Luna slowly laid her ears back, eyes wide. It had been over a thousand years since she had seen her sister so distressed. Celestia's pelt twitched and tremored with her weeping, glowing in the moonlight and making her seem so fragile that Luna was afraid Celestia would shatter from a single touch.

Luna forgot all about her own terrors of that night and walked into the open. Celestia's head immediately turned towards her, and Luna stopped. No matter how much Luna wanted to be at Celestia's side to comfort her, she respected her sister's space, and wouldn't intrude where she wasn't wanted.

"Luna," Celestia choked. She rubbed her face against her forelegs, although they were already soaked and still left the fur on her face damp. Celestia's body rose slightly and she tried to twist her mouth into a smile, but Luna realized it was just a practiced expression, and it did nothing to hide how her regal sister was feeling.

Nevertheless, Luna took the smile as a welcome, and she came and stood next to Celestia.

"Art...art thou well, sister?" Luna asked, leaning her head down.

Celestia turned away, and her whole body sagged once more. As Luna awaited an answer, she turned to looking at the pool. Its cement bottom had a relief of two alicorns rampant, wings flared, the tips of their horns meeting in a harmonious greeting. All beneath a mirror of water that captured the face of the moon.

Luna started to grow somewhat anxious, not knowing how to help Celestia despite her every desire to do so.

"Luna, I'm so sorry," Celestia finally gasped. The tears began to flow freely again from Celestia's eyes, and she looked at the pool. "When you came home, and I realized how much you had suffered...I felt so horrible. It's been so hard to say so until now. I'm so sorry!"

Luna gazed at Celestia, whose sobs now came unhindered from her mouth, and tears fell from her own eyes. She laid herself at Celestia's side and pressed her muzzle under Celestia's neck, feeling the thunderous flow of blood in her sister's throat. Tears flowed down Luna's horn and dampened her mane.

"I'm not angry with you," Luna whispered. "It is well between us, sister."

"I've pretended for weeks that all was well...the garden was my only reprieve. Even now I ignore you...how could I?"

Luna felt a sting of remorse. She spread her wing over Celestia's shoulder.

"Know that I am not angry, my sister, and that thou hast not ignored me," Luna insisted. Luna felt warmth pour from her soul, and she hoped her sister felt it too. "I love you. Never forget that."

Luna surprised herself then. On a night when she had been seeking counsel and comfort, she was instead giving it. It filled her with peace, and any fear she held that night slunk away and was left in the past.

Celestia leaned against her smaller companion for a moment, and her weeping subsided. The pool became still, light and imagery returning to a peaceful state. Luna embraced the harmony that bonded her and Celestia, and could have remained in her sister's warmth forever.

However, she knew that sleep and the duties of the morrow called them. Celestia seemed to realize this as well, for she rose first when she seemed ready. Luna quickly stood at her side, and a shiver passed over body; her nightmare-sweat had chilled her.

"Thou must sleep," Luna said, concerned at the moment only with her sister's well-being. Celestia nodded, observing Luna with a soft smile.

"I'm glad you are back, Luna," she said. "It was never the same without you."

Shoulder-to-shoulder they made their way back to the keep. With unbending loyalty, Luna followed Celestia all the way to her tower and watched the Princess of the Sun ascend to her chamber. Assured that Celestia was well, Luna retreated to her tower and found only a light sleep, ready to jump up at any moment should Celestia need to lean her tired head upon hers again.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Mirror

To improve her health, Luna started a schedule of exercise that increased in rigor week by week. She would leave Canterlot and fly down to the open plain, circling up and down to strengthen her wings, and once she landed, she took a long run. She always did this after supper, and took no longer than three hours, for she wished to always be present at the castle when Celestia set the sun and raised the moon.

Even after Luna returned to Equestria, Celestia had been alone in this duty. However, ever since their meeting at the alicorn pool, Luna stood at Celestia's side to closer observe how the Princess of the Sun orchestrated the movement of the sun and moon. Celestia watched with pride Luna's growing eagerness and strength, and they both knew Luna was so close to regaining power over her greatest talent.

Luna grew sleek, muscles replacing the base scrawniness brought on by her Elemental cleansing, and she shed her old wing feathers and grew in a new and healthier set. She proudly polished her horn everyday against a special tall, black stone in her chamber, keeping the shaft glossy and clean.

Luna may not have been in her full state of power, but she was still an impressive sight, and her very presence demanded respect from everypony around her.

Celestia put aside some extra time to accompany Luna to the plains a few days before Fall Equinox. Luna, who normally kept a stoic expression, could not help but smile in delight at the prospect.

"Wilt thou be able to keep up with me?" she asked Celestia in a joking tone as they left the borders of Canterlot and drifted over the vale.

"Am I older than you?" Celestia retorted with a grin. They circled each other, and Luna abruptly fell into a stoop. Celestia arced her body into the same maneuver. Wind screamed around her ears and body as she followed the blue figure of her sister in a slight spiral.

Luna swooped out of her fall, wings flaring gracefully a dozen feet over the hills. Celestia slowed her dive further up and trailed after Luna. They drifted down to the earth, trotting as they landed in the tall-grass.

"Tomorrow night, I shall raise the moon," Luna announced, head high as she examined the eastern horizon.

Celestia was tempted to question Luna's current ability to do so out-loud, but knew that when Luna made a choice, she was obstinate about changing it. Perhaps, though, it was finally time for Luna to take up her rightful duty over the moon.

"I look forward to it," Celestia replied. Luna shook her body, invigorated with a new energy, and took off at a full gallop. Celestia bolted forward, keeping at her sister's side.

The next day, Luna returned to Canterlot from her run just as the sun was settling above the horizon. With a final nudge of her magic, Celestia would send him arcing over the other side of the world until he was ready to present himself at Equestria's gate of dawn. Already the moon waited under the east horizon, waiting for the familiar call of Celestia's aura.

However, it was Luna who would summon the moon this time. Celestia stood on Luna's balcony with her sister, bowing her head as she dismissed the sun and left the world in twilight. Shades of red and orange spread across the sky.

Luna closed her eyes, and her light blue aura erupted along the length of her horn. She too bowed her head and unfurled her wings, letting them hang low to either side. She focused her aura towards the moon. Her entire body strained with the effort, and a few minutes later sweat emerged across her coat. Her primary feathers rattled with each deep breath.

Celestia watched for the veil of night and the moon, gently biting her tongue and leaning forward. After a few moments she gazed upon Luna, a growing concern replacing her anticipation for moonrise. Luna gritted her teeth, neck straining as if she were trying to pull a mountain out of the ocean by a length of rope. Celestia glanced between her and the horizon, anxiety mounting upon anxiety.

"Luna," she whispered. Her sister seemed not to hear, grunting and groaning. Sweat dripped onto the granite floor of the balcony. Celestia raised her voice. "Luna, stop, you'll hurt yourself!"

Luna stubbornly held onto the spell, now glaring openly at the horizon. Celestia, keeping Luna's health as her first priority and exercising her authority as a Princess, flared her wings and shoved her shoulder against Luna's, knocking her sprawling against the railing. Luna cried out and lost hold of the spell, a very audible and angry residual hum vibrating across both of them.

"Celestia!" she shouted, tossing her horn in Celestia's direction. She got up trembling onto her hooves and pawed at the balcony. "What art thou _doing?!"_

"If you went on, you could have killed yourself," Celestia replied quickly. She kept her own anger in check, used to dealing with ungrateful ponies, and she took a deep breath. A flash of instinct told her to move aside before Luna charged her with her horn. However, Celestia held her ground to show she trusted Luna. "Luna, you're not ready to raise the moon."

"I can, and I _will _raise the moon!" Luna retorted, her voice booming through the air. "You doubt me? Dost thou not trust me?"

Celestia nodded, scared to speak further. Luna turned away to look at the horizon, but to Celestia's great relief, she didn't resume her spell position. She watched as Luna stomped her hooves and snorted defiantly, a puff of steam escaping into the air. Luna flapped her wings a few times, and then folded them and bowed her head level with her chest. She looked at Celestia and gave a nod back.

Celestia immediately took on Luna's initial pose and cast a spell so familiar it had become second-hoof. The sky took on a dark purple hue. Stars winked open over Equestria. A glowing white orb mounted the horizon, and then took off soaring towards zenith. Celestia let go of the spell, ignoring the drain on her strength as she now watched Luna.

"You need more time, little sister," Celestia tried to console. Tears were dribbling from Luna's beautiful blue eyes as she stared now at the balcony floor. Celestia sighed and looked at the moon. "When you were gone, the moon became covered in great black seas that made the shape of an alicorn's head. It represented you, of course...but to me, the moon became a mirror. I wasn't seeing just you. I saw a reflection of my ignorance, my pride. It was a reflection of choices that maybe...both of us could have avoided."

"A mirror," Luna murmured. She let out a heavy breath, and then turned in for the night.

Luna refused to give up. Every night she tried, and every night she failed and watched Celestia raise the moon. The Princess of the Night worked herself into a ragged sweat every time, but didn't push herself too far like the first night.

She tried to puzzle out what she was missing. She could feel her aura make physical contact with the moon, but the moon refused to budge, and the night would not heed her call. Luna tried to listen to her celestial charge, something she remembered to do after a week, and did not hear her familiar lullaby, a low hum that stretched through space and across Equestria. The moon refused to speak to Luna.

In the second week of her attempts, Luna shared her observation with Celestia over a private lunch.

"I don't understand why the moon will not heed my command, sister," Luna told her for perhaps the hundredth time. She looked at her cider-filled goblet, frowning tightly. "I remember the first time I touched the moon with my magic, she sang to me. Now...I feel as if she hath rejected me."

Celestia closed her eyes and kept them closed as she took a sip and nibbled on a tart. Luna waited calmly for Celestia's response; often the Princess of the Sun kept her eyes closed in some constant meditation, as if all she needed to do was listen, even if she was walking.

"You were gone a thousand years, Luna," Celestia finally said. "The moon is not used to your command. Give it time."

Luna knew Celestia meant well, but she was growing frustrated with her own inability to perform as Princess, to become what she had been. Luna would push herself even to the edge of death if it meant making the moon rise to her magical command.

After two months of this, as Fall waned towards Winter and the air grew chill and the forests colored to brilliant yellows, reds, and browns, Luna finally broke down. She fled from her balcony sobbing when twilight did not change at her will, and she saw through various windows she galloped past the day becoming night under her sister's watchful eye.

Luna hated crying over it, but she also hated how she had not yet recovered, how everything she had once owned was gone. She raced from Canterlot, ignoring the looks of the hundreds of ponies heading indoors for the night. She made her way out onto the eastern ledges, still wild with meadows and sparse groves of Fall-dressed trees.

She halted as she neared the edge of the cliffs, hot tears still dampening her face. She had no more strength to muster, no more magic to summon. She had become absolutely useless, and she despised the thought. She glared at the white, pitted face of the moon, its glow crossing her body and glossy wings.

"What's wrong with you?!" she screamed at it, rearing and tossing her head. She landed with a _whumpf! _and pawed at the grass, shredding the earth in her anger. She cursed and paced in a circle, wishing the moon would sink back down and hide itself; it didn't want to shine for her anyway! Luna chewed and chewed on this thought until it ignited her fury. She whirled and faced the moon. Shimmering white bolts of energy crackled along her horn, ready for a devastating beam of magic that could shred the hardest of rock to pieces.

However, she had already spent all of her magic on trying to raise the moon that night, and the spell instead reverted back into her body and sent a painful spasm through her. Luna gasped and her legs crumpled beneath her.

She gulped in breaths as the pain faded, and with a sense of guilt that replaced her anger, she looked up at the face of the moon.

"_...the moon became a mirror."_

Taking hold of the thought, Luna looked hard at the moon and tried to see that mirror. At first she was afraid to find a mirror of memories, of the monster she had been...but that wasn't there. Luna reached out with her senses, strained her ears forward. The mirror of the moon filled her entire imagination, and as she looked at the moon, she found no good feelings, no happiness, no respect. All of it reflected back on her, and Luna jerked her head away from the moon and closed her eyes.

"_I'm _what's wrong," she gulped. Her entire body trembled as humility washed through her. It both relieving and painful, like boiling water washing away filth. "You do not love me...because I don't love myself."

What a fool she had been! She had looked for love all around her. She had looked to gain the love of her family and subjects. She had even tried to show love and support in her own ways. She shouldered whatever burdens she could for the good of Equestria. But amid all of that, she had forgotten the key to her magic, the very magic that had made her an alicorn so many thousands of years ago.

Love, respect, happiness. All directed at herself. She couldn't truly be an alicorn Princess, an immortal being of harmony, unless she felt those for herself as well as for others. When the Elements had changed her back, she had been given a second chance to regain the self-worth that would give her great power.

Luna looked back at the moon, this time with a bright smile. Such a revelation, and such a promise. However, it would not be easy to look at herself and say, "I love you" and "You're greater than you know."

Hardest of all would be to look in the mirror within and say, "I forgive you."


	5. Chapter 5 - Second Trust

Luna confided to Celestia her discovery, and apologized for being stubborn as a mule. Luna returned to her previous schedule of exercise and dream-guiding, avoiding her moon duty for the time being in order to focus on her own well-being rather than her previous misplaced sense of duty and self-loathing.

As Luna looked more at herself, she found within a pony of dignity, grace, and loving of all things good and beautiful. She took note of how she reacted to everyone and everything, and in doing so found great beauty and joy in the world about her. The life-filled day, something she had once resented, she observed with growing fascination and curiosity. Technology and culture had changed so much, she admitted to herself with a surprising and delightful sense of self-compassion, that she had a lot to learn about her people. Even if they seemed somewhat strange these days, she still loved them.

As Luna thrived on the positive feelings she felt, she was able to be more positive about what little family she had been given. After Luna stopped focusing so much on her selfish desires, she truly realized just how hard-working Celestia was. She took audiences constantly, from the highest nobles of court to the trembling commoner addressing a social problem. Otherwise she was in meetings or traveling to different parts of Equestria. Even through it all, Celestia managed to smile and express her love and concern. She kept her chin up, and Luna saw how much Celestia already loved herself, so much that all the excess went to others.

Luna did not see Cadence as much, and was not surprised at the fact. Cadence used her special talent, the very thing that had made her an alicorn, to spread love throughout Canterlot, and she was a very popular pony. However, Luna delighted in seeing young Cadence whenever the Princesses had get-togethers, and hoped someday she would earn the honor of being called "Aunt Luna."

Celestia and Cadence took note of Luna's growing health, energy, and happiness throughout the winter. Her mane and tail grew longer, and her body went through a growth-spurt as it strove to regain its previous form. Luna took greater interest in their duties, and offered help wherever she could, but even if they declined her offers, she still found something to do. Celestia especially saw a certain warmth growing in Luna, and it gave her growing confidence in her little sister.

Spring Equinox approached Equestria. Everywhere ponies would be melting and shoveling snow, bringing in the migratory animals, planting new crops, and building and repairing structures. Luna cheerfully orchestrated the wrap-up in Canterlot, although many ponies looked at her askance, still unsure to think of the prior-Nightmare Moon. Luna tried to ignore it, although she was unnerved that ponies did not quite trust her quite yet. Back in the Fall it may have turned her into a recluse, but since some of the ponies still tried to consult her concerning the winter wrap-up, Luna was able to complete the seasonal transition with good heart. The loyalty of the ponies buoyed her heart, boosting her confidence to lead and change her image.

At the end of the week, just a day before Equinox, Luna reclined in her personal study, writing in a journal resting on her pillow. The quill scratched across the page in the grip of her aura. Next to her pillow were two volumes of a gazetteer series, her latest study of Equestria and its peoples. Behind her, the window took on a dark hue as Celestia sent her sun soaring across the other side of the world. Luna almost didn't notice the change from day to night, very much involved with her entry.

The moon rose, casting a silvery light that mixed with the warm hues from the fire-lit hearth. Luna started humming a lullaby. A single note floated through her tune, and she stopped. Luna listened to the stillness of the room, quill resting on the end stroke of her last letter. She heard it again, and more of a song filtered into her ears, mind, and heart. Luna closed her eyes and smiled.

Ah, so long since she had heard that voice. It sang love and admiration to Luna, and she sensed a bit of an apology in there as well. Luna felt her heart thump once with guilt, but she let it go quickly, almost without a thought.

"My sweet mirror," she whispered back, "you did nothing wrong. You only did your duty...but all the same, I forgive you."

The song became stronger, trilling with joy and gratitude. Luna set aside her journal, eyes still closed, and listened to the moonsong for the rest of the night.

Celestia watched Luna step up the long red carpet towards the throne. The room was quiet, and warm morning light filtered through the many stain-glass windows. Luna stopped at the edge of the dais and raised her head proudly to the Princess of the Sun.

"Sister," she announced with a small smile. "I am ready."

Celestia also smiled. Luna had changed, had become more confident and caring and focused on what was important.

At the same time, Celestia could scarcely forget that first night, and many nights after, where Luna had tried and failed to do what her soul dictated. However, Luna had not been inclined to over-exert herself this year, and had reported regularly on her recovery and duties performed. If Luna said she was ready, then perhaps it was so, and Celestia once more decided to place her trust in her.

"Very well," Celestia replied. "When I set the sun, Princess Luna, I will watch for you to bring forth the night."

And as silently as she came, Luna went.

Celestia's thoughts were occupied the rest of the day on what would happen that evening. Over and over she tried to focus on her audiences, but a mixture of excitement and fear sometimes caused her words to come out jumbled to her ponies, and she received more than one look of confusion.

The day seemed an eternity. She wrapped up her duties near dinner-time and dined with Cadence and Luna. Cadence did most of the talking, always eager to share how love had benefited the ponies she contacted. Celestia commented here or there, and Luna only made a remark on one of her duties of the day before remaining silent. Whenever Luna caught Celestia's eyes, they smiled at each other, silently sharing the excitement of what was to come.

Finally time for sunset, and Celestia followed Luna into the reception hall. She expected them to go to the castle wing that upheld their chambers, but instead Luna trotted out into the twilight city and took flight. Humming in question, Celestia took to the wing. Luna led them over the northern border of Canterlot and to the eastern fields.

Luna searched the ground with narrowed eyes, and then drifted down to a field. Some of the earth had been displaced at one point, now covered in soft grass. Luna kept her wings spread upward in the regal pose of a Princess as Celestia landed beside her.

"It was here I saw myself in the mirror," Luna explained quietly. "It was here I realized why the moon would not sing to me."

Celestia wanted to say something, but even with all the pent-up feelings she had gained that day, she was lost for words. She wanted to see Luna succeed after all the physical and emotional toil she had gone through. Luna radiated confidence as she turned her gaze to the sky, waiting for Celestia to do her part.

Celestia faced the west, where the sun rode just above the horizon against a backdrop of orange, red, and purple. Her aura vibrated along the length of her horn, power surging through her body as she embraced the sun with her magic. As always, she heard a marvelous, deep song emerge from that distant orb of energy, and as she lowered her neck and wings, he obediently dipped below the horizon to perform his duties on the other side of the world.

She let go of the spell and nodded to Luna. Her sister took a deep breath, focused only on the eastern horizon. Luna bowed her head and closed her eyes, lowering her wings. Her blue aura shimmered around her horn, and a slight wind kicked up around them. Celestia stared hard at the horizon, watching for the curtain of night to fall and for the silvery charge of Luna to fly into the sky.

Luna appeared calmer than ever. Little strain was apparent on her body. Celestia grinned broadly as twilight faded into a dark velvet, and stars sprinkled themselves against the dome of the sky. She could hear the stars singing and speaking, a distant chorus of praise. The wind around Luna swirled harder, and sparks of magic appeared all around her body. Luna began to raise her head and wings, her expression trance-like.

A silver light spread across them, and the moon began her ascent. The stars flashed brighter in recognition of the moon and her song. Luna reared and pawed at the air, willing the moon to its rightful place. The moon responded to her master by increasing her glow and slowing her pace at a certain position above the horizon.

Luna thumped back down to the ground, and when she opened her eyes, they glowed with immortal power. The sparks coalesced around her head and glided all across her body, replacing the light-blue fur and wings with indigo, darker than the night. The sparks streamed across her mane and tail, replacing the opaque cobalt blue with flowing dark-blue and semitransparent purple edging. Stars flowed within them, and Luna shook herself free of the sparks.

Celestia gaped at Luna, tears brimming her eyes. Luna looked herself over, lifting her legs and turning around, ruffling her wings. Then she laughed, rearing and pawing at the air.

"I did it!" she cried. Her voice had taken on a more steady tone, and her body was the same size as it was a thousand years ago. Celestia laughed with her, and they danced around each other, prancing across the grass and clacking horns as if they were fillies.

Eventually they stopped and pressed their necks against each other in an embrace, crying silently in joy.

"You did it," Celestia chuckled. "I'm so proud of you."

They pulled away and tapped horns gently.

"_We _did it, sister," Luna replied. She took a deep, content breath. "We did it."


End file.
